The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-05-20


Secretary Of State Griffin has commit
ted blnnder which. for gross ignorance
and culpsble carclcssncss, - without
parallel.
We have received : copy of the acts
Of 1887, duly bound, and bearing the
signature. il 10 very smaII
volume. and lie contents are quickly -
One would have supposed
that Mr.. Griffin had u least brains
enough 10 issue this volume properly,
but il IL evident he hasn't. He seems TO
have supposed that IL would be sufficient
10 Gil the hook with the acts Of the Gen.
lcraI Assembly, and, accordingly, he has
not published an abstract Of the receipts
and disbursements Of the State Tfcasury
las required by the Constitution (R. 3.
1881, Sec. 1851
Mr. Griffin claims 10 be . lawyer, but
liz Is very clear that he is not familiar
with the Constitution Of the State. The
Supreme Court has decided that consti-
ltutional provisions are mandatory.
1 Now what are the consequences OF M.
lGriffim's idiocyf The laws can not be
duly circulated and published until the
I financial abstract 10 printed with them.
Governor Gray may not. and We pre-
sumo will not, issue . proclamation de-.
claring that the laws are duly published
lin this incomplete volume which Mr.
Griffin is scattering over the face Of the
State. Mr.. Griffin will now have 20 re-
print the l.6OO copies authorisrd BY law.
or recall those he has sent ont and add
lfhe abstract. This will cost the State
very pretty sum. IL be determines e
recall the copies he has distributed, the
backs will have 10 be torn on and The
\ abstract stitched In, and the index cor
rected. This will cost great deal o.
money.
\ We believe no State officer has evel
before shown such deplorAble and mis-
} chicvous Incompetence. There can b
! no excuse for such egregiOus Ignorance
: Of the State Constitution ON the part o
, = State officer sworn 10 obey II. Mr.
(, Griffin has not had the discretion 4
. read even so much OF il as relates 70 th'
/. administration Of his own Office ANT
, this costly blunder is not the only on
: OF series. He has demonstrated thor
$ oughly his incapacity. Under the pre-
] vious Democratic management Of IN
Office its business was conducted in 81
: orderly way, but under the Republical
. Sir. Griffin il is miserably managed, an
: il Is almost impossible 10 find any pa
:. pers ar vet any Information from the Of
= lice. The difference in the administrs
b tion since Republican took charge
J. manifest, to the utter disgust Of all wh
n have any business with the Office
Mr.. Griffn's continuous display Of u
n competence has reached climax in q
omission or fhe financial abstract froI
l. the volume Of the acts. IL be had eve
q had the sense to examine any Of the pr
y viously Published volumes be woul
4 have seen that the abstract was . nece'
d sarv part Of il. Mr.. GrifIin's time sinc
b his induction appears 10 have been dt
. voted mainly TO schemes having - the
) object the injury Of the credit Of othe
: state officials who have happened 10 B
4 Democrats. In every instance ne b
J. been caught and made to submit . pra'
Q tical apology. Possibly il is better q
The interests Of the State ~ large that }
n should divert himself in Ihis, for d
Is chances are that the more as.iduously I
n may exert himself to perform the dutis
4 Of Secretary OF State the worse Il vi
lf be for the State.
ci There is one small consolation, how
o ever, four months Of Mr.. Grinn's teri
q have expired. Ind Sentinel.
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